Calling Doctor Love
by radcliffe bass
Summary: Harry Potter didn't think that owning a small coffee shop can be this complicated. But when you're best friends with New York's elusive date doctor, life is anything but simple. *contains slash pair, please skip if you don't like the genre, thanks*
1. Disclaimer and Notes Page

This is the disclaimer and author's notes page. Feel free to skip this part. It's just important that I put this page up in order to avoid being sued for copyrights or accused of plagiarism.

Title: Calling Doctor Love

Author: radcliffe_bass

Beta: clover71 from livejournal

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood

Rating: PG-13

Warning: slash, flangst, swearing, AU

Summary: Harry Potter didn't think that owning a small coffee shop can be this complicated. But when you're best friends with New York's elusive date doctor, life is anything but simple.

Written for au_bigbang at livejournal. All mistakes post beta are mine. Happy reading!

Disclaimers:

1) All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement intended.

2) Please note that this is purely fiction and none of the contents are real. Any interactions, relationships and situations that might concur with real life events are purely coincidental. This fiction is created for fun and for non-profitable purpose.

3) This story is based on the 2005 Will Smith movie, Hitch, written by Kevin Bisch. The author does not claim ownership, copyright or credit of the movie's plot, dialogues, situations, interactions and characters. All creative rights belong to the movie's screenwriter, Kevin Bisch and the movie's production staff and film company, Sony Pictures. No plagiarism and copyright infringement intended.

4) Some of the dialogues, quotes and sentences used in this story were borrowed from the movie's (Hitch) character lines/dialogues. The author does not claim ownership, copyright or credit of the movie's dialogues. All creative rights belong to the movie's screenwriter, Kevin Bisch. No plagiarism and copyright infringement intended. Please see author's notes for more details.

5) Some of the dialogues used during the karaoke scene were borrowed from the lyrics of several songs. The author does not claim ownership, copyright or credit of any of the songs' lyrics. All creative rights belong to songs' lyricists, namely, Prince (Manic Monday), Mike D'Abo and Tony Macaulay (Build Me Up Buttercup), FOX, CHARLES/GEYER, STEVE (Got to Believe in Magic), BARTHOLOMEW, DAVE/DOMINO, ANTOINE (All by Myself) and Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Dancing Queen). No plagiarism and copyright infringement intended.

Author's Notes and more disclaimers:

1) The following lines were borrowed from the movie, Hitch, written by Kevin Bisch. The author does not claim ownership, copyright or credit of the movie's plot, dialogues, situations, interactions and characters. All creative rights belong to the movie's screenwriter, Kevin Bisch. No plagiarism and copyright infringement intended.

I'm not a cynic, I'm a realist.

What are you doing here? What is she doing here?

and this type of overwrought, nervous behavior often leads to…a very big raise

Pictures of Gavin with a busty brunette.

I think it's great that you're good at your job, but there's more to life than watching other people live it.

there's no girl without guile or game

if one's trying to mess with fate, it's best to fly under the radar

I know I'm not her usual type.

2) The Ron and Harry karaoke scene in this story was written by the awesome clover71. Thank you for the funny and great input to my story! *glomps clover71*


	2. Part 1

Harry opens the front door of his coffee shop to let the opening shift team in. He utters a sleepy 'good morning' while the four men enter Potter's Blend. Seamus and Dean nod to acknowledge him whereas Fred and George greet Harry enthusiastically. Harry's not a morning person, so it baffles him why the Weasley twins always seem to be cheerful when they report to work at five in the morning.

"There's some sandwich and brewed coffee on the counter. I'm almost done baking the pastries. The Danish are on the cooling racks. Just need to pop in the croissants after the cookies are done," Harry says and doesn't bother to suppress his yawn. He's been up since four baking and he's already tired.

It's been two weeks since Harry decided to change the operating hours of his business, opening at seven in the morning instead of nine and closing the shop an hour before midnight. Although the increase in his weekly sales shows that it's a good decision, Harry's not too keen about the lack of sleep that comes with the new schedule. However, sacrifices need to be made if he wants to keep the edge he has over his competitors. It's a good thing that most of his employees are amenable to extending their shift hours. Who says no to additional income anyway?

Two hours later, George flips the shop's sign to 'open'. George barely makes it behind the counter when the bell strapped on the door rings and a blond man enters the coffee shop.

"Good morning, Draco! The usual?" George doesn't wait for an answer before starting to work on Draco's drink. George and probably everyone who works on the opening shift know Draco's coffee preference. Draco though, still replies with a 'yes' and proceeds to look at the pastry shelf.

Since the shop changed business hours, Draco's always their first customer. Draco usually arrives within the first five minutes of the shop's opening and he always, always orders a large, extra hot, triple-espresso shot, soy milk macchiato.

And of course, everyone on the opening shift knows that their boss harbors a not-so-secret crush on Draco.

George steals a glance at Harry's direction and can't help but snicker. He finds it amusing to watch Harry pretending to check the contents of the cash register. Yes, pretending, since George knows that Harry is already finished with setting up the register earlier.

"Thanks, I'd take two blueberry Danish as well," Draco says when George hands him his drink.

"Good choice," George says while putting the pastries inside a paper bag. He winks at Harry before placing the bag beside the cash register and turns to greet the new customer, leaving Harry to deal with Draco.

Harry mentally curses George. Sometimes, he hates that most of his employees are his friends. Especially when they're meddling with his non-existent love life, under the pretense of helping out. He's not even supposed to man the register, but somehow, most of his baristas manage to disappear every time Draco sets foot inside the café.

"That will be eight dollars and seventy cents."

Draco hands over a ten-dollar bill and tells Harry to "keep the change" before turning to leave.

"Thanks for filling in for me. I'll take over from here," Fred says, gently shoving Harry out of the way.

Harry eyes Fred suspiciously and wants to ask where he had been. But Fred, clever bastard that he is, expertly distracts Harry by asking, "Had your fill at ogling Draco's butt?"

And Harry hates that he's easily sidetracked, because now that Fred mentioned it, Harry can't help but follow Draco's retreating back, his gaze often straying to Draco's ass.

Harry's face heats up when his over-active imagination is filled with thoughts that are highly inappropriate to think of during work hours. Thoughts that will absolutely lead to an embarrassing situation, if his employees realize that their boss is perving on one of their customers.

Harry's so lost in thought that he doesn't notice Ron standing in front of him, until his best friend speaks up.

"Harry James Potter," Ron says, his voice taking on that teasing tone that Harry's quite familiar with, and never bode well when it involves his full name. "Did I just catch you checking out that customer's ass?"

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" Blaise asks Hermione when he sees her enter the New York Chronicler's office.<p>

Hermione just smiles as she takes the stack of mail from her pigeonhole and kisses Blaise's cheek. "I was bored; Bahamas isn't as good as it looks without my posse trailing behind me."

"Cheeky girl. Really, why are you here? You're supposed to be on vacation."

Hermione manages not to roll her eyes at Blaise. She rummages through her bag, smiles when she finds her camera's memory card and starts walking, Blaise falling into step beside her. "Don't worry, Blaise. I did what the doctor advised, rest and relaxation… It's actually great, especially if you get to see a certain aristocrat cheating for all the world to see."

"Please, tell me that that's not the reason why you cut your vacation short."

"Okay, I won't," Hermione says, knowing that it will irritate Blaise. They stop by Colin's desk and Hermione drops the card she's been holding on his table. "Hey, Colin, can you check if any of my shots are clear?"

"Sure," Colin replies, looks at Hermione in confusion, and asks, "Aren't you on vacation?"

Hermione ignores the question and mutters a 'thank you' before making her way to her desk, Blaise following her.

"You should have brought someone with you."

Hermione turns her attention back to Blaise, who doesn't seem to be finished with his lecture. She knows no amount of distraction can keep Blaise off this path when he's on full mother hen mode. "Who am I gonna take with me? You?"

"This is where a boyfriend would come in handy."

Hermione snorts and finally rolls her eyes at Blaise. Of all Blaise's ideas, this has got to be the worst she's heard. "You know I don't do relationships. It's just an excuse for convenient sex, until a better option comes up."

"Can't you be a little more cynical?" Draco interjects.

"I'm not a cynic, I'm a realist, and it's rude to butt into other people's conversations," Hermione says, mock-glaring at Draco.

"Cynic, realist, whatever. What are you doing here? What is she doing here?" Draco asks Blaise who just shrugs and leaves Hermione to Draco.

"In case you forgot, I still work here, Mr. Malfoy."

"No, you don't, not until your vacation's over, which is in three days. Go back to the beach Hermione."

"I have a hot scoop, Draco."

"I don't need your hot scoop, I need you to go back to Bahamas and enjoy your vacation," Draco says in a voice that brooks no argument. Draco almost forgets that it's Hermione Granger he's dealing with and that defeat isn't in her vocabulary. So when Hermione tries to speak up, he immediately interrupts her and purposely delivers his next words, loud enough for those around them to hear. "You're turning into a workaholic… and this type of overwrought, nervous behavior often leads to…"

"Pictures of Gavin with a busty brunette."

"…a very big raise," Draco lamely ends and looks at Hermione in disbelief. Hermione follows him to his office and Draco says, "Only you, Hermione, could dig up a scandal on your vacation," once they're settled inside.

"It's not my fault that Gavin Carlisle was stupid enough to get caught on my beach."

Draco raises his hands in defeat. A gesture that Draco knows Hermione finds adorable on him. "Fine, I need that article on my desk not later than four today."

Hermione grins in delight. She knows that Draco won't be able to resist running the story. "I knew you'd see it my way."

"But you're still on vacation," Draco says and Hermione raises an eyebrow in question. "Don't get me wrong sweetie. I think it's great that you're good at your job, but there's more to life than watching other people live it. Take a break. Please don't force me to order a ban on you. Hunt for gossip for all I care but I don't want to see your face here in the office for the next three days. You're young and pretty; find someone who will sweep you off your feet while you're at it."

"I don't do romance, Draco, you know that."

Draco reaches out to squeeze Hermione's hand. "Not all men are like Cormac. There's a one in a million chance that the next guy you meet at the bar is the one destined for you."

"I'll believe you when I see you take a break and finally make your move on Mr. Coffee Shop, Draco. You better heed what you preach, darling."

Draco grimaces. He hates it when Hermione throws his words back at him. "I had that one coming right?"

"Yes, you did," Hermione concurs, leans forward to kiss Draco's cheek and leaves.

* * *

><p>Harry's lack of confidence when it comes to starting relationships never fails to amuse Ron. For someone good looking and successful like Harry, it's quite sad that he doesn't seem to have the same luck when it comes to love.<p>

Ron knows that some guys never have problems interacting with the opposite sex. Ron has to admit that during his college years, he was one of those pathetic guys who couldn't seem to get a date even if his life depended on it. For some reason, most of the girls he knew back then tended to gravitate toward Harry. But that's more likely because Harry's gay.

Ron almost resigned himself to bachelorhood during that time. Until he met that one girl that changed the way he looked at love forever - Daphne Greengrass. She's the most beautiful girl Ron dated and he's so in love with her back then. Ron almost believed that they're destined to grow old together. But six months of dating went down the drain, after Ron found Daphne making out with a varsity player, who happened to be his roommate. Needless to say, it was an experience Ron doesn't want to go through again.

In retrospect, Ron has a niggling feeling that he's partly at fault with how his previous relationship turned out. He must have acted a little too clingy and desperate for attention, reasons which might have driven Daphne away from him. But that experience has taught him a lot. It made him realize that there's no girl without guile or game. This knowledge is something that he feels obliged to pass on to other men. And that is the reason why he set up his dating consultation business.

For the past five years that Ron has been operating his business, he's learned that if one's trying to mess with fate, it's best to fly under the radar. Thus, the reason why his business is one hundred percent referral-based, therefore he's quite untraceable. Unless someone slips up.

Ron reads the information he has gathered about his latest client. Based on his research, Neville's profile almost matches those of his previous clients'. He's an average looking guy who works for an accounting firm. It looks like it will be another easy project for Ron.

Ron turns his attention to the shop's door when it opens and sees Neville entering the shop. Ron quietly observes and feels himself getting disheartened as the minutes pass. Ron has never met anyone who can cause a mess like Neville. He watches as Neville spills coffee on his coat and almost breaks George's nose when George tries to help Neville.

It seems that Google has forgotten to share one important fact about his client. Neville Longbottom is a total klutz.

Easy? Yeah, right.

The scenario unfolding before Ron almost makes him want to abandon this project. Almost. Even if guys like Neville are the reason why he started this business in the first place. Ron sighs in resignation. He better go over to Neville before the other man tears Harry's shop apart.

Neville slides in an empty booth thinking that he has got to be the unluckiest man on earth. No matter how hard he tries, he somehow always manages to screw things up. He's hoping that this meeting with the 'date doctor' will help change his luck. But fate seems hell bent on taunting him. He hopes this date doctor arrives soon before he loses his courage and backs out.

As if someone has read his mind, a voice says, "I will never break up a relationship, so I hope your girl's still single." A handsome, red haired guy sits on the empty chair opposite Neville.

"Thank you for seeing me," Neville says and shakes the redhead's hand. "Um, she just had a very bad breakup. Do you think it's not yet a good time for her to start a new relationship? I'm cool with that 'cause I'm honestly uncomfortable about this. But I'm desperate, not for sex. Damn, no. Not that. I mean, for her to like me back."

Ron nods emphatically, for some unknown reason; Ron knows exactly what Neville was trying to say despite of his rambling. "So…. What can you tell me about her?"

"Her." Neville tries to straighten his tie and looks at everything but at the date doctor. "What can I say? She's beautiful and really kind. She's sponsoring a foundation and I'm one of the junior accountants who handles her finances."

"Does she know you like her?"

"No?" Neville feels his face heat up in embarrassment at his answer.

"She knows you exist, right?"

Neville's about to shake his head when he remembers uh… something. "Um, Luna borrowed my pen to sign a contract once. Does it count?"

"Luna? As in Luna Lovegood?"

"I know I'm not her usual type."

"No shit. Her last boyfriend was some European prince or something, right?"

"He's a good for nothing bum," Neville replies and earns a raised eyebrow from Ron in return. "For some reason, he irritates the hell out of me."

"You aim for the sky, man!" Ron laughs and instantly regrets it when he sees the change in Neville's expression. He almost, almost feels guilty at his reaction, but then again, the situation is really funny.

"Do you think I don't know how stupid this is?" Neville asks and doesn't try to hide the anguish in his voice. "I know how crazy this looks like – I just thought..." Neville gathers his things and starts to stand up to leave. "No. You know what, sorry if I wasted your time, let's just forget about this."

"Neville, wait." Ron stands up and places his hand on Neville's shoulder to stop him from leaving.

Neville stops and looks Ron in the eyes. "I know I don't stand a chance. But, as silly as it may sound, I love her. Have you ever experienced what it's like to wake up every morning knowing that the woman of your dreams is waking up at the same time beside a man who could never be you? And even if it hurts, you can't help but wish and pray that she's happy because you know it's what she deserves. Even if she finds that happiness with someone else."

Ron shakes his head, not because he pities Neville. It's because even if Ron thinks that taking on this task is flat-out insane; he can't help but be drawn by the challenge that this assignment offers. "Do you know that Thomas Edison once said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration?"

Neville nods, even if he can't understand how that quote can help him with his problem.

"Well, the same goes for love," Ron explains and offers his hand, "Ron Weasley, I'm that one percent of inspiration you need. And you, well, let's just hope you don't smell that bad when we finally work out that ninety-nine percent."


	3. Part 2

"Would it kill you to walk over there and talk to him?" Fred tells Harry after he notices him looking at Draco's table for probably the hundredth time already. Okay, so that number's an exaggeration, but Fred lost count after the eighth. Seeing Harry stealing glances at a particular table in the corner of the shop every few seconds is starting to get on his nerves.

Fred laughs-alright-laughs out loud when his remark made Harry look at him with a startled expression. Fred thinks it hilarious, watching the way Harry's eyes widen like a deer caught in the headlights.

"How did you know-" Harry starts to ask but decides to keep the rest to himself when Fred continues laughing. Harry wishes that the ground will split and swallow him when he notices that a few customers are looking at them curiously.

To make matters worse, Draco's one of those who's watching Harry and Fred's interaction with interest.

If Harry will be given the chance to kill someone, he swears that Fred Weasley's the first to go!

Fred finally manages to calm down. He didn't realize that Harry could turn that shade of red. Hmm, that's interesting. Fred stores that information at the back of his mind. Who knows when it might come in handy? But for now, Harry looks like he can use some Weasley med- er, magic. So Fred takes two blueberry Danish out from the shelf and puts them inside the oven.

Harry looks at Fred suspiciously. He has a good idea that whatever Fred is planning will quite possibly involve him getting stuck in an awkward situation.

Harry crosses his arms over his chest, trying to look menacing and refusing to take the tray that Fred's holding out to him. Harry knows he has failed to assert his authority when the corners of Fred's mouth curl up mischievously.

"There better be a good explanation for this other than 'we need a break and the pastries look delicious enough to eat,'" Harry says.

"Believe me, there is," Fred says and thrusts the tray toward Harry again.

Harry has no choice but to take the proffered tray for fear of Fred letting it drop. Okay, so there's a remote-alright-big chance that Fred won't do what Harry fears he'll do, but yeah, no one knows how the twin's mind work.

The smug grin that graces Fred's lips should have been a warning. But Harry chooses to ignore the warning bells. So when Fred says, "Those are for Draco. I'm sure he'll appreciate them especially since they're free", Harry almost drops the tray.

"But I-he-Fred… what?" Harry stammers, frozen in place.

Fred, being the nice friend that he is, steers Harry away from the counter and gently shoves him toward Draco's direction. "Go get him, tiger."

Harry can feel his cheeks heating up. He hates being placed on the spot so he doesn't think anyone can blame him if he ends up murdering Fred. It does not help that the ruckus that Fred created earlier has everyone staring at him. Harry feels like he's some freak show animal put on display and the thought makes him horribly uncomfortable.

_'Better to get it done and over with,'_ Harry tells himself and wills his body to move toward Draco's table instead of just standing there looking like a complete idiot. Harry's relieved when his decision appears to be the right choice and most of customers shift back to minding their own businesses.

"I didn't order anything," Draco says as soon as Harry places the tray on his table.

"It's uh-um… on the house. For uh-you know, being the first customer when we first opened. I mean, when we first changed schedule" is Harry's lame reply, making him desperately want to bang his head on the wall.

_'Honestly, that's the best you can do?'_ the voice inside Harry's head (which for some reason, sounds so much like Ron) mocks him. _'Want to change places and regale Draco with your smooth words?'_ Harry retorts and cringes when he realizes that he's arguing with himself. Harry recalls reading somewhere that talking to one's self is a sure sign that one's gone round the bend. He'll have to ask Ron later, just to be sure.

A cough breaks Harry from his musing and the first thing he notices is gray eyes watching him curiously. Harry mentally scolds himself for getting lost in his own thoughts again.

"Sorry, I uh… got lost there. I mean, you know, stuff," Harry says and he really, really hates that he seems to be losing the ability to complete sentences. Draco probably thinks he's an idiot. "You were saying?"

Draco really wants to laugh but thinks better of it. It will be unfortunate if he happens to offend an employee of this establishment. Who knows what they'll put in his drink as revenge? Besides, it's not everyday that his secret crush brings you free pastries. So Draco just smiles and says, "I said, that was three weeks ago, and you're just giving this to me now?"

Harry's breath catches. Draco's smiling at him and he looks gorgeous. Harry knows he can spend the whole day just looking at that handsome face and his brain will turn to mush. '_Which is really a bad thing, since Draco seems like the type who wants a partner he can talk to. Not some blabbering idiot you appear to have transformed into,'_ his Ron-like subconscious voice tells him.

_'Shut up!'_ Harry mentally smacks his forehead. He really needs to talk to Ron, _A-S-A-P_. Harry takes a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts (or sanity in this case), before he answers Draco's question.

"Um, yeah. Because we never got the chance to…" Harry stops. Judging from Draco's knowing smile, Draco won't believe his excuses anyway. So Harry opts to tell the truth. "Actually, we don't have thank you pastries."

"I figured as much."

"Really? I mean, yeah, I know you'll figure it out. You know, the truth is um… that redheaded menace by the counter told me to bring these to you. But yeah, these pastries are for you., It's really on the house."

"Why?"

Harry inhales deeply before taking the plunge. "Because I want to get to know you better."

Harry waits for whatever it is that people like Draco usually do when faced with situations like this. He's expecting Draco to hit him or shout at him, at the least. But when nothing happens and he sees Draco looking at him curiously, he decides to push his luck. "Look, I know I might be coming on too strong, and crap, I hope I'm not making a fool of myself or scaring you away. But, heck, I'm doing this all wrong, right? Damn!"

Draco simply nods at him.

"Alright, let's do this again. I'm Harry Potter," Harry says, offering his hand and hopes that Draco doesn't push him away.

Draco wants to pretend that he's contemplating whether he should shake Harry's hand or not simply because he finds Harry's fidgeting cute. But his mind tells him that Harry has had enough fidgeting to last him the whole day so he takes Harry's hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you. Want to join me for…" Draco looks at his wristwatch "…brunch? That is if your boss is cool with it."

Draco sees Harry's face light up. Harry smiles at him and Draco can't help but think, _'Damn, that smile will be the death of me someday, I just know it.'_

"No, I don't think I would mind if I join you for brunch," Harry says as he sits on the empty chair opposite Draco. "So what would you like? It's on the house."

"Be careful, I might just get used to this free stuff."

"I hope you will."

* * *

><p>When Hermione agreed to meet Lavender at this club, the last thing she expected is for someone to hit on her. Especially someone who just can't seem to take a hint. And what's with the lame pick up lines? Really. She hopes Lavender arrives soon.<p>

There's a big chance that whatever she says will fall on deaf ears but she's willing to try, if only to make this obnoxious guy stop. "No, listen. I'm just not interested."

"You don't need to be afraid, you know," Chip, she thinks that's what the guy told her his name is, says. "You need to open up to be able to find that one man who can make you feel-"

"Like you're the most beautiful woman in the world?" A voice pipes in, and Hermione looks up, a little curious to know who just spared her from listening to whatever nonsense Chip's about to say. She's surprised to see a good-looking man smiling at her. "Sorry I'm late. Boss made me stay a little longer. How did the meeting go, hon?"

Hermione knows when help's being given and she's not going to deny it in order to get rid of unwanted company. "Well, it's absolutely shorter than I expected," she tells the good-looking man before turning to Chip. "Bye, Chip, thanks for keeping me company, but my date's here."

Ron gives Hermione a once over. He knows he should be wary when dealing with this woman. It'll be quite challenging to get her attention. He takes the empty seat beside her and gauges her reaction. He's quite relieved that she doesn't seem to mind. "For the record, it will take a lot of courage for anyone to approach you. See, you're giving all the right signals with the way you're dressed. Especially with that 'fuck off' sign that's stamped on your forehead."

"Well, that's too bad."

"I know. But sometimes, some guys will push their luck, thinking that maybe, a more direct approach would be better than a pick up line. Now, this guy will introduce himself properly, saying something like, I'm Ron Weasley, I'm a consultant. Of course, you might think, great, another creep. Or you might find his style intriguing and you tell yourself, he might be different, so you'll probably give him a chance and say…"

Hermione can't help but smile. She's quite impressed by the way Ron's expertly handling the situation. It's been a long time since she'd met someone this interesting. Well, two can play this game. "Hermione Granger, I'm the gossip columnist of New York Chronicler. So now that he has a name, he probably thinks he's made progress. So he will start asking questions to make her think he's interested."

"He'll ask because he's really interested to know her better. But he'll probably refrain from doing so, because he knows that no matter how hard he tries to make her believe he's sincere, she'll probably just think he's just trying to get in her skirt."

"That's true."

"So he'll just be content to let her be because she came here to relax and unlike other guys, he knows how to respect her wishes. So they'll both go their own separate ways, and they will both be fine," Ron says, standing up and smiling at Hermione.

"It was nice meeting you, Hermione Granger," Ron finally says and leaves.

To say that Hermione's surprised at Ron's departure is an understatement. She feels completely shocked when Ron just left. She's actually expecting that Ron might stay a little longer, insist on buying her a drink and try to make a pass.

A waitress stops by and places two martinis on the table. "Courtesy of the guy who just left."

Hermione almost follows Ron but Lavender arrives and without preamble, she takes one of the martinis, asks, "Is this for me?" then glances at Hermione. "Why are you smiling?"

"No reason," Hermione says. "How was your day?"

"Fine, be that way," Lavender says and takes a careful sip of her martini. She's debating whether to tell Hermione about Zacharias or not. Hermione's always been suspicious of men since Cormac cheated on her. And considering where she met Zacharias will not endear the man to her friend.

"You met someone," Hermione says. She doesn't need to ask because she can read Lavender's body language well. Lavender likes to talk and when Lavender's this quiet on a night out, it can only mean that she has something on her mind. Lavender normally tends to keep things from Hermione when there's a guy involved. A guy whom Hermione knows Lavender probably fears Hermione might not approve of.

Lavender sighs in defeat. "I met him yesterday when I went out to buy some thongs."

"What's his name?"

"I won't tell you."

"Lavender, he's flirting with you at a lingerie shop. A guy never buys lingerie for himself."

"I know, alright? But he's really sweet, and well," Lavender pauses and plays with the rim of her glass, "I think he's the one, you know."

"Sweetie-"

"Please?"

Hermione throws her hands up in defeat. "Alright, just be careful, okay?"

* * *

><p>Neville paces around the men's room, waiting for Ron's text message. He's nervous-no, take that back-he's scared out of his wits at what he's about to do today. Hell, he almost ripped his pants earlier and that, in his opinion, is a bad omen.<p>

_"The first thing that you need to do is to make her notice your presence," Ron had advised. "And not the 'I-lent-her-my-pen' moment. You need to make an impression. So our first objective is to shock and awe."_

Shock and awe, right.

Easy peasy.

If only he knew what it takes to shock and awe someone like Luna Lovegood. He's the youngest member of her board of advisors. He's shy and he's not that good-looking enough to catch her attention. Neville has half a mind to call everything off, when his mobile phone beeps and he reads the message: _Luna Lovegood's on her way to your floor. Remember, shock and awe. Mints on your left pocket._

_"When you're inside the conference room, listen to her. Do not daydream. There's a place and time for that. Don't look at her lips or her breast. You need to make sure that you listen carefully to what she's trying to say so that when she asks you a question or she needs help with something, you can answer her with more than 'Can I kiss you?' When you see that window of opportunity, grab it and remember, shock and awe."_

Neville blinks when Luna speaks up, Ron's words dissipating into thin air.

"What I really wanted to ask," Luna starts in that dreamy singsong voice of hers, "is if it's alright to get $500,000 from my savings to invest on a business that I think would be very profitable."

"Oh? And what type of investment would that be?" Tom, the head of the board of advisors, asks.

Everyone's gaze shifts back to Luna.

"I was thinking on investing in my friend's fashion line," Luna says.

Neville thinks it's great that Luna's trying to be more pro-active when it comes to her money. And Neville can't help but admire her more.

"Miss Lovegood," Tom Riddle says in a way that sounds like he's talking to a small child. "Maybe if you could give us a business plan for this investment, we could consult amongst ourselves and see if this business venture would really turn out as profitable as you think it would be. We will also present some business ventures which we think you would be interested in on our meeting next week."

Neville sees the defeated look on Luna's face, and before he can realize what he's doing he speaks up. "I don't think I quite agree with what you said, Sir."

"Excuse me?"

Everyone turns their attention to Neville and he suddenly hopes his chair would eat him up right now. But when he looks at the end of the table where Luna's sitting and notices that she's looking at him attentively, Neville feels his confidence boost. He stands up, hoping to make himself be heard more clearly.

"I disagree with you sir," Neville iterates and looks at Luna. "I think that if Miss Lovegood wants to invest $500,000 on her friend's fashion line then she should do it. There's nothing in the rules that says she can't use her own money."

"Now see here Nev-"

"No! Listen to me! Miss Lovegood is a beautiful and intelligent adult who deals with the pressure of the press from the moment she wakes up until she falls asleep. I doubt that anyone of us in this room can handle what she goes through each day with grace. We get our paycheck from her for Christ's sake! There's no need for her to ask our permission if she wants to use her money."

Neville diverts his attention back to Luna. "If you want us to treat you like an adult, you should start making your own decisions, as what most adults do. You don't need us to decide for you all the time."

"Neville Longbottom if you don't-"

Neville turns and points a finger at his boss and shouts, "You know what? I've had it with your irrational decisions. I QUIT!"

_'Oh shit'_ are the first words that came to mind of when Neville finally realizes what he had said. _'Fuck, fuck, fuck! I fucking quit my job!'_ He stalks out of the conference room frantically and heads to his office.

"So how did it go?" Ron asks when Neville enters the office.

"I quit my job."

"You what?"

"I quit my job."

"I didn't tell you to quit your job," Ron says. "But that's no problem, just try to relax and let it simmer down for while. My, when I said shock and awe, I didn't realize you'd go overboard."

Neville's eyes widen as if he just realizes what he just did. He moves toward the door but Ron pulls him back and practically wrestles him to the ground. "Let go of me Ron, I need to go back there and take back what I said!"

"No! No, Neville! Calm down." Ron pins Neville's wrists on the floor with his left hand. Neville appears to be hyperventilating or having an asthma attack so Ron pulls out Neville's inhaler from his pocket and brings it to Neville's mouth.

"You did great, let it cool down for a while, okay? Relax," Ron says, trying to comfort Neville, even though his voice betrays what he thinks of the situation.

"No!" Neville must have heard the doubt in Ron's voice because he arches up and successfully dislodges Ron. Neville crawls over to the door and reaches for the doorknob but Ron grabs him from behind and locks him in a bear hug.

"Breathe, Neville, breathe. Let it go. Wait for a while. Relax… let them come to you, not the other way around," Ron says.

As if proving Ron's right, they hear a knock on the door and Luna's voice drifts from behind it. "Hello? This is Luna Lovegood."

"Open the door Neville," Ron instructs.

"I can't," Neville chokes out.

"Open the door," Ron repeats.

"You might want to let go of me first," Neville says with difficulty.

"Oh, sorry," Ron says sheepishly and lets go of Neville then helps Neville straighten his suit and tie.

Ron hides behind the door before Neville opens it.

"Yes?" Neville says as soon as he sees Luna.

"Neville Longbottom right?" Luna asks and Neville nods in response. "Are you alright? That was quite intense, what you did in the boardroom earlier."

"I know."

"I just want you to know that no one talks to me like that," Luna says and Neville looks down in shame. "That's why, I want to thank you for standing up for me back there."

Neville looks up in surprise. "Really?"

Luna smiles at him. "Yes, thank you. And, about what you said earlier, I was thinking… Would you like to get together sometime? I mean to talk about the business proposal. I would like to push through with the project and I would be grateful if you would help me with it."

"Sure, I'll check my schedule."

"Great! I'll give you my number; give me a call when you're available. Do you have a pen? I don't think I have one." Luna rummages through her bag.

Neville takes advantage of Luna's distraction to shoot a grin towards Ron, who promptly gestures for him to focus on Luna. Ron slips a pen into Neville's coat pocket and Neville takes it, hands it over to Luna, saying, "Here."

"Oh, thank you." Luna takes the pen and writes her number before handing the piece of paper over to Neville. "Call me."

"I will," Neville says and notices that Ron is prompting him to close the door. "Bye."

Neville presses his back against the closed door, feeling a little faint but damn! Luna Lovegood wants him to call her! _Oh, shit._

"See. That wasn't so hard right?" Ron says as he claps Neville on the back, causing Neville to topple over and start wheezing. "Neville? Neville! Oh crap, where's your inhaler?"


	4. Part 3

Harry stares at the door to Draco's office nervously. He's contemplating whether to knock or to just leave. Bringing Draco some lunch seemed like a good idea earlier, but now that he's actually here, Harry's not so sure about it anymore.

Sometimes Harry hates it when he acts on impulse and silly thoughts start running through his head like – _'What if Draco's out? Or in a meeting? Or worse, someone's in the office with him? Why is he even thinking about these things?'_

Harry takes a deep breath to calm himself and finally knocks.

"Who's it?" Draco asks. He takes a look at his watch and is surprised to see that it's almost noon.

"Delivery for Draco Malfoy," a voice that sounds so much like Harry's answers. Draco must be hearing things. He hasn't even ordered anything so there's no way in hell that Harry's standing right outside his door. He should have just gone back to what he was doing earlier - but his curiosity got the better of him – and he finds himself getting out of his chair to open the door.

To say that Draco's surprised is an understatement, shock might be the more apt description, when he sees Harry smiling shyly at him.

"Hi. Sorry for dropping by without notice. But… um… Lunch?" Harry says, holding out a paper bag.

"Thanks." Draco utters when he finally recovers from the shock and he takes the paper bag from Harry. He opens the door wider to let his unexpected but not unwelcome guest in. "I must say this is quite a surprise."

"Oh, sorry about that. Is this a bad time? I was just thinking that it's almost noon and you might be hungry so…" Harry explains while following Draco inside. "And – uh – you know, they say that the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Well, I won't say no to free lunch" Draco takes the food containers out of the bag and opens them. The enticing aroma of the dishes makes him realize that he hasn't eaten anything for breakfast. "This looks more than enough for the two of us. Want to share?"

"I was about to say no. But I think my stomach speaks for me so yeah, I'll join you," Harry says and takes a seat beside Draco.

Meanwhile, outside of Draco's office, Blaise and several employees are hovering near Hermione's desk. They are all listening to the conversation Hermione is having with - probably one of her suitors - over the walkie-talkie.

Hermione twirls her hair around her finger, a mannerism she does when she's nervous. This Ron Weasley proves to be different from any of the other guys she met, and much more creative.

Although, she wishes that Ron could have chosen a less embarrassing method of asking her out, she still finds the gesture, well, sweet.

But Hermione's still uncertain if she should just go out on a date with Ron. What if it's just a hoax? Or Ron turns up worse than Cormac? And who in his right mind would want to go out on Sunday morning anyway?

Oh yeah, Ron Weasley, apparently.

"It's not a date," Ron says and Hermione hears noises in the background, like a television with a really bad reception, Ron's voice sounds a little garbled when he speaks again. "Think about it, free food, great company. Just a simple breakfast between two acquaintance. Over."

Hermione looks at Blaise for help, but the bastard just gives her a thumbs-up sign. "Alright, Sunday's okay. I guess?"

"Great, see you at Sanders Marina at six. Over and out."

"What? That's too early –" Hermione stops when the courier who delivered the walkie-talkie is handing her another box. "What's this?" Hermione shakes the box and tries to guess what's inside it.

"You said Sunday, right?" The courier asks.

"But what if I said Saturday?" Hermione asks as she tears the box open and pulls out a wetsuit.

"At least you don't need to worry about what to wear anymore," Blaise comments and Hermione just smacks him on the head.

* * *

><p>Ron curses himself silently as Michael, the museum guy, gives Hermione an ice pack. The day's not going exactly the way he has planned it. First, his jet ski runs out of gas and when he's transferring to Hermione's jet ski, he accidentally kicks Hermione in the face. Talk about bad luck!<p>

Fortunately for Ron, this museum tour is turning out much better than the earlier fiasco. Michael's a great tour guide, giving great trivias and explains the history of the museum quite well. Hermione looks like she's having fun and Ron can't wait to show her his surprise. He's quite sure that the journalist in Hermione will appreciate the surprise.

Boy, was he wrong!

"Hey, are you alright?" Ron asks, sitting beside Hermione on the bench. Ron's baffled at her reaction when they showed her the page that has her great-great-great grandfather's signature.

He expected the tears, but when she started cursing and making those angry gestures at the signature, well… he has a feeling that he missed something important.

Hermione gives Ron a watery smile. "Yeah, I'm sorry, for running out like that. I know how hard you must have worked on that surprise. It's just that - that great-great-great grandfather I told you about? He's the family's black sheep. He disappeared when he turned twenty-two, because… well, he had already murdered seventeen people around that time and was on the run."

"No shit," Ron says and understanding finally dawns. "Is that why he was called 'The Butcher of Cadiz' on Google? I thought it was his job or something. Damn, I'm sorry."

Hermione wipes the tears from her eyes. She didn't mean to get emotional about it. But seeing that name has brought back stories that have given her nightmares when she was a child. "That's alright, it was-"

"A disaster, I know," Ron finishes for her.

"I was about to say sweet, but if we're aiming for honesty, I would say I agree with your assessment."

Ron smiles wryly at her. "Sometimes, I hate it when women agree with me, especially when it makes me look bad."

Hermione laughs. The date is, as what Hermione said earlier, an utter disaster but for some reason, she won't really mind going out with Ron again. If only so he can make up for this catastrophic date. "You are interesting, Ron Weasley. It won't be bad if we get together again."

Ron kisses the back of Hermione's hand. "I am always happy to oblige to your request, Hermione Granger."

* * *

><p>Neville fidgets while waiting for Luna outside the club where the fashion exhibit they're attending is being held. Neville checks his watch again. Luna and her friend, Terry, are late. Neville's almost on the verge of giving up but then he remembers Ron saying that most celebrities opt to be fashionably late.<p>

Now, Neville doesn't have any idea how late is fashionably late or if it's just - plain and simple - really late. But he hopes that ten minutes still falls under the first category.

When Luna's car finally pulls up on the club's driveway five minutes later, Neville feels like a great weight's been lifted from his shoulders. He hastily approaches Luna's car and opens his umbrella to shield Luna from the slight drizzle.

"Hi," Neville says and looks inside the car, waiting for someone other than Luna to emerge. "Where's Terry?" Neville asks when he realizes that Luna is alone.

"Terry never arrives on time," Luna answers, taking as they walk towards the club.

"Fashionably late?"

"No, just late."

_"Luna Lovegood's famous, so most of the guest in the exhibit would talk to her. When she introduces you, give their hands a firm shake and speak loud. Let them know that you're capable of handling the pressure of escorting Luna around," Ron had told him. "And please, don't try any of that weird dancing around her okay?"_

Neville's on cloud nine. The DJ's playing his favorite dance track and he can't help that his body seems to have a mind on his own. Ron's going to kill him if he finds out, and by the number of photographers swarming the event, Neville won't be surprised if the first thing he sees in the morning is his face on the tabloids. It's a good thing that Luna doesn't seem to mind his dancing. In fact, she looks like she's enjoying herself.

The hype eventually dies down and the DJ switches the song to a slow one. They both leave the dance floor and Neville leads Luna to an empty table. He takes two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and offers one to Luna. Neville's about to ask Luna if Terry's still attending the party but then two men approach their table.

"Neville, these are Terry's friends, Igor and Ramon," Luna says.

"Nice to meet you." Neville reaches out and firmly shakes each man's hand, wondering what topic he can use to start a conversation. Neville doesn't need to wrack his brain though because Igor asks, "Luna dear, have you seen the shoes Camille's wearing?"

Luna's face lights up. She's been dying to talk to someone about those shoes. She actually thinks they're pretty and wishes to find out where to buy them, so she speaks up. "Oh yes–"

But Igor interrupts and says, "It's awful, clashes with her dress."

"How about that painting Kate bought last week at the auction?" Ramon asks as well.

Neville sees the way Luna's eyes light up. Like she's glad someone has brought it up. Neville's actually anticipating Luna's answer but Ramon - taking a page from Igor's bad book of manners - didn't give Luna a chance to speak. "It's awful, really awful."

The smug grin that Igor and Ramon share is not lost on Neville. The only thing preventing him from breaking Igor and Ramon's noses is the thought of embarrassing Luna if he starts a brawl. But he can't let them get away with their rudeness.

So Neville looks at Igor and asks, "What's you name again? Ignore?"

"It's Igor," Igor corrects him.

"Sorry, Ignore," Neville apologizes, deliberately saying the incorrect name. "What can you say about the way Ramon's scarf clashes with his suit? Hmmm… Oh, I know. Awful right? It was fun talking to you. If you'll excuse us."

Luna lets Neville steer her away from Igor and Ramon. She honestly didn't expect Neville to stand up for her, because he doesn't seem to be the type of person who would do something like that very often. She's impressed and grateful at the same time. "Thank you. I never did get along with some of Terry's friends."

"Pity, I was starting to like them."

_"However, for tonight, the most important thing that you need to remember is, tonight is not about winning Luna over," Ron had said, which confused Neville. "Tonight is about winning over the person who has the big potential to be your ally when it comes to Luna's view on relationships. Her best friend, Terry."_

Luna laughs when Neville shakes the hand of the woman in front of them. Neville must have thought the girl is Terry. Luna can't blame him though; her best friend's nickname can confuse anyone.

"Neville," Luna calls out and points at the man beside her. "This is my friend, Terrence Boot. Terry, this is Neville Longbottom."

The blush that spreads on Neville's face is adorable. And Luna has a weakness for anything adorable. She actually expects Neville to falter when she introduces him to Terry but Neville surprises her by quickly recovering from the awkward introduction and proceeds to engage Terry in a conversation.

Neville's turning out to be an interesting guy, and Luna finds herself wanting to get to know him more.

"So, Terry. Is it easy for you to get inspiration for your designs?" Neville asks.

"I have to be honest, I've had my bad days, but I guess, I'm quite lucky that I can find inspiration even on the most simple things," Terry answers.

"Some people find beauty in simple things," Neville agrees. "That's a nice tie," Neville says, reaching to straighten Terry's tie, "you have to tell me where you bought that. Can I get you anything from the bar? No? Alright, I'll be right back."

"Are you sure he's straight?" Terry asks Luna after Neville left for the bar.

"Yes, he is," Luna says, swatting Terry playfully on the arm. "Go find your own guy."

"I found one, too bad he's got 'Property of Luna Lovegood' stamped on his forehead," Terry says, eyeing Neville appreciatively. "If he happens, by some miracle, swings for my team, send him over my way."

"Not a chance, Terry. Not a chance."


End file.
